Enhancing Content Exploration
Drills 4 Skills
Background
The founder of the app called Drills 4 Skills hired me to conduct a UX audit and identify key pain points to improve the app’s usability and effectiveness. Drills 4 Skills is an iOS app that delivers focused practice drills to improve speed, agility, muscle memory, and eye–hand coordination for competitive shooters. Users create custom drills and log performance; the target audience is competitive shooters at all levels seeking skill and cognitive improvements.
Timeframe
3 Weeks
Platform
Native App
Classification
B2C
Platform
Use Research, Interaction Design, Prototyping, Usability Testing, Information Architecture
Problem
The founder of Drills 4 Skills is primarily a developer with limited UX experience, therefore, he came to me for help after usability flaws and concerns were brought up by some users.
Goal
As the sole Product Designer/Colsultant, my goal is to improve the app’s usability and effectiveness so users can complete core tasks reliably, get faster, more confident results, and attract more people to use the app.
Before: Main Pages
Side Note
Drills 4 Skills is still at its early-stages and the app was built with a dark theme.
Discovery & Research
Stakeholder Meeting
After the founder contacted me to consult and design for Drills 4 Skills, I met with him to discuss budget constraints and project goals. That conversation let me tailor a proposal and pricing that matched his priorities and gave me a clearer understanding of his needs.
Testing
I conducted a moderated test the current version of the app with five individuals who could potentially be frequent users, observing their interactions to pinpoint issues and gather quantitative data.
Usability Test
Group Demographic
Total Participants: 5
Age: 30–45
Country: United States
Find a drill that can help you work on swift target engagement
Demonstrate how you would log in the results after completing a drill
Demonstrate where you could find advice or a tip for a drill
Create your own custom drill
After finishing your drill, show where to find and access it
Interviews
I then interviewed the same users to gather concerns, preferences, and feature requests, using their feedback to guide design decisions and also increase the likelihood that the update would effectively resonate with the target audience.
"It would've been nice if there was a way to save drills that I like, similar to how I can bookmark posts on Instagram."
User Interviews
Group Demographic
Total Participants: 5
Age: 30–45
Country: United States
Was it easy or difficult to browse through all the drills? If difficult, please explain.
Was it easy or difficult to figure out how to log results? If difficult, please explain.
Was it easy or difficult to figure out where to find a drill tip? If difficult, please explain.
Was it easy or difficult to navigate to a drill you've created? If difficult, please explain.
What features or improvements would you most like to see in this app?
What would you rate (1 to 5 scale) the drill discovery experience?
Comparative Analysis
I did competitive analysis on a couple of comparable apps to gather ideas and inspiration, identify proven patterns, compare content priorities, and spot opportunities to stand out.
Key Findings & Feedback
3/5 of participants indicated they would appreciate a 'save drills' feature to revisit favored items, as it would speed future discovery and reduce cart clutter
4/5 suggested adding a search feature would speed content discovery and reduce time spent browsing for drills
2/5 of participants reported frustration at not being able to view past logged results, saying access to history would help track progress
Most participants found several CTA labels unclear, which reduced confidence and increased hesitation
Black text on a white background is more visible in bright sunlight, where the app is often used
Design & Ideation
Streamlined Browsing
I simplified the information architecture and redesigned the navigation to swap content below, reducing steps and clutter so users reach destinations faster. This clarifies labels and groups related items, resulting in smoother, more efficient navigation.
Before: Navigation
After: Navigation
Teaser
I added a one-line teaser copy under each drill title to provide quick previews, speed up scanning, and help users assess relevance without extra taps. Participant feedback indicated improved discovery and reduced navigation steps.
Drill Search
I implemented a streamlined search feature to improve discoverability and reduce navigation time. High-fidelity prototype testing showed faster task completion and higher success rates when users could search directly.
Save
I added a Save feature so users can bookmark drills for later and build a personalized list accessible under a tab on the navigation tab for much quicker access, reducing time spent navigating and increasing time available for practice.
CTA Clarity
Most users found the "Begin Drill" button confusing—many expected to start a live drill, but it actually only opens the results-logging screen. I renamed and clarified the CTA to set correct expectations and reduce confusion.
Quick Tip
Users were also confused by a "Feedback" button, they expected an app feedback form, but it only showed a drill tip to help you improve. I redesigned it, styling it like a live‑chat toggle at the bottom of the screen so tapping produces a pop‑up with a tip that users are likelier to notice and engage with.
Past Logs
Previously, users could only see a static list of past drill logs with no way to view details. I improved it by making the list clickable, which takes you to a detail page where users access past recorded entries and have the ability to edit or delete them.
Validating
I brought back the same users from the beginning to try and rate a high‑fidelity prototype of the redesign. They rated the entire drill discovery experience: For the original design, responses were 20% Poor, 60% Acceptable, and 20% Good; New design, they shifted to 40% Good and 60% Excellent. Their feedback confirmed the changes addressed key pain points and improved clarity, navigation, and confidence in the app.
Challenges
Prioritization
Budget constraints limited the project scope, so I had to prioritize redesigning core flows, essential features, and solving issues that concerned users while deferring additional improvements. This meant focusing on high‑impact changes (navigation, drills, and CTA clarity) that deliver immediate value and documenting remaining opportunities for future phases.
Conclusion
After testing the high‑fidelity prototype and saw improved metrics (from 60% Acceptable to 60% Excellent), I presented the designs to the developer/founder so he could review them with me, ask questions, and adopt the validated specs for a future major update.
Actionable Learnings
I learned that small design details (like clear CTA copy) can make a huge difference and boost engagement. So it's good to take a look at core fundamentals before adding any new features.